Sicilian-style pasta with cauliflower, currants, saffron and pine nuts

Name: Sicilian-style pasta with cauliflower, currants, saffron and pine nuts
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Italian recipes
Ingredients: 1 large cauliflower; 50g currants; ½ tsp loosely packed saffron strands; 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped; ½ tsp chilli flakes; 3 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste; 225g small tubular pasta, such as chifferi rigati no 33, tubetti or penne; 5 large plum tomatoes from a tin, roughly chopped; 50g pine nuts, lightly toasted; 2 tbsp chopped fresh flatleaf parsley

Easy
October 2010

Serves 4
Takes 20 minutes to make, 25 minutes to cook

This vegetarian cauliflower, currant and pine nut pasta recipe is inspired by the flavours of Sicily. You can try it with different pasta shapes, we’ve suggested chifferi rigati no 33, tubetti or penne.

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 516kcals
Fat: 22.6g (2.7g saturated)
Protein: 18g
Carbohydrates: 64.5g (20.3g)
Salt: 0.3g

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Ingredients

1 large cauliflower
50g currants
½ tsp loosely packed saffron strands
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ tsp chilli flakes
3 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste
225g small tubular pasta, such as chifferi rigati no 33, tubetti or penne
5 large plum tomatoes from a tin, roughly chopped
50g pine nuts, lightly toasted
2 tbsp chopped fresh flatleaf parsley

Method

Break the cauliflower into small florets and set aside. In a bowl, cover the currants with hot water and set aside. Put the saffron into another small bowl, cover with 4 tbsp hot water and leave to soak.
Heat the oil in a large, deep frying pan over a medium heat, add the cauliflower florets and fry for 5 minutes, stirring every now and then, until they are beginning to soften but haven’t coloured.
Sprinkle over the garlic and chilli, then cook for 1 minute more, stirring. Mix the tomato paste with 100ml warm water, stir into the cauliflower, cover, then cook gently for 10 minutes until the cauliflower is just tender.
Meanwhile, bring a large pan of well-salted water (1 tsp per 600ml) to the boil. Add the pasta and cook for 7 minutes or until al dente.
Drain the currants and add to the cauliflower with the saffron strands and water. Add the tomatoes, turn the heat up a little and cook for 3-4 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. Season to taste, then stir in the pine nuts and parsley.
When cooked, drain the pasta, add to the cauliflower sauce, toss together well and serve.

delicious. tips

Got some leftover currants? Try…

Orange and currant pancakes. Make some pancake batter (find a recipe at deliciousmagazine.co.uk), then stir in a handful of currants, 1tbsp of orange liqueur and a grating of orange zest. Fry the pancakes as normal.

Sun-dried tomato, feta and currant couscous. Add a handful of currants to uncooked couscous in a heatproof bowl. Following the packet instructions, pour over hot stock to cook the couscous. Stir through chopped coriander and parsley, sun-dried tomatoes with some of their oil, crumbled feta and steamed green beans.

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